Climate Change Impacts and Landscape Adaptation Strategies by: David Tuchlandscape planning and design can help to combat climate change through low impact development (read)

Conference Overview

The 2015 Turning a New Leaf Conference was a huge success. Over 280 people attended the conference to learn about sustainable landscaping from a variety of experts. Sixteen presentations were organized into the four tracks of: Landscape Design Perspectives, Soils and Plants: From the Ground Up, New Paradigms in Stormwater Management, and Sustainable Management of the Designed Landscape. A book sale and vendor display was also included in the event, giving participants an opportunity to network and expand their resources. The following articles highlight just a few of the presentations that were given at the conference. To see the presentation slides, handouts, and notes from the day, please visit the Chesapeake Conservation Landscaping Council's website.

If you missed the pre-conference dinner and the preview of the Hometown Habitats film, be sure to check out the clip available on vimeo and consider donating to help complete the rest of the film. The password for viewing is final.

Use of Compost and Microclover to Reduce Runoff and Lawn Fertilizer Use by: Mark Carroll

Did you know, the urban/suburban pollution source sector is the only pollution sector that is still increasing within the bay’s watershed?

Mark Carroll reported on a study that was done in Clarksville, Maryland on the use of compost and microclover to reduce the runoff coming from a lawn established as part of a new housing development. Most new lawns are compacted and infertile which means higher levels of fertilizer are needed to maintain healthy turf and that fertilizer often runs off following a rain storm. This study showed that by adding compost to help with absorption and short, microclover to build nitrogen into the soil, less runoff was measured after two years of growth compared to the control lawn. You can see the presentation slides here.

Landscaping with Deer by Kathleen Salisbury

Kathleen provided guidance on how deer fit into the human landscape. As opportunists, they will eat more than 500 different plants and feel safe in the landscapes we have created. In many cases the suburban environment provides more food for them then wild ecosystems do, a reason why their populations are continually expanding. Here are a few tips for landscaping with deer:

Alternate the use of more than one kind of repellent

Deer don’t have good eyesight, but do have good hearing and sense of smell, so strategies that take advantage of these conditions may be more successful.

Rain gardens are a popular way to reduce stormwater runoff but there are 3 major functional problems that plague these systems

Naked Gardens (bare gardens that are not planted densely enough)

Under drains work too quickly, not allowing water to sit for long enough in the garden

Rain gardens turn into ponds (no filtration)

Claudia also claims that groundcovers are forgotten in almost all planting designs. She suggests that rain gardens should incorporate the beauty and structure of wild plant communities. This means that plants should be planted in a layered structure that consists of short, ground covering species with tall species planted on top (not next to). To learn more about the 5 layers of a successful rain garden see her presentation on the CCLC website.

David stressed that, although the statistics on climate change are sobering, the landscape planning and design professions have a major role to play in developing solutions. He spoke from four discussion points: how has climate already changed, how is it projected to change, what can we do about it and how does the landscape profession fit in?

Sustainable landscaping can work on several fronts to combat climate change. Examples include: energy efficient designs like green roofs and walls; mitigating urban heat islands by increasing street tree plantings; siting plants to help conserve energy; understanding hardiness zones so plants will survive long-term; and rainwater collection. Designing for active transportation and preserving open space also have a role in climate change adaptation, mitigation, and resiliency. To see the research on current climate change and to see some examples of low impact development check out his presentation.

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The Chesapeake Conservation Landscaping Council is a coalition of individuals and organizations dedicated to researching, promoting and educating professionals and the public about conservation landscaping to protect the Chesapeake Bay.